Kareem Jackson: Why the Texans picked him at 20

Well, some people don’t like the Texans picking Kareem Jackson at 20. I am not one of those people. I actually almost wrote an entire blog post about him before the draft but then I thought that was a jinx, and probably a waste of time given all the players out there.

If you read here much, you may recall the entry I did with John Harris of 1560 The Game called “The Most Complete Houston Texans 2010 Draft Preview.” In that post, I noted that there’s a type of player that the Texans like to draft, and I listed 7 criteria, 4 of which the Texans seem to emphasize more than other teams. Using those criteria, John made some predictions of the types of players in the draft that fit.

This is what he said about Kareem Jackson:

“Kareem Jackson, Alabama – I don’t know that I’m 100% confident that taking Jackson at #20 is the right thing to do (then again, is the perceived right thing always the right thing?), but he’s a guy I really like because he does fit the Texans seven criteria. He’s faced the best in college football. He doesn’t back down. He’s tough, mentally and physically. He put up with Nick Saban for a three years, so you know he’s been coached up. I’d love to see him in the second, but he isn’t going to make it that far.”

After the combine, a lot of people said that Jackson helped himself a lot and may have got himself in the first round. And I wondered why, so I did some looking up stuff at the time given the Texans need for corner. When the pick was announced, I remembered an article I read about Jackson that I think Texan fans should check out.

Jackson indeed raised his stock during workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium. He didn’t win a gold medal in the 40-yard dash, but his time turned heads. Officially he was clocked at 4.48 sec­onds, but some stopwatches timed him as low as 4.41. Only four cornerbacks ran faster than 4.48. None was faster than 4.45.

“He has a good tape,” [Daniel] Je­remiah said. “There were questions about his deep speed, but he answered those.”

Jackson apparently an­swered other questions well, too.

“He interviewed ex­tremely well,” said Phil Savage, the former Cleveland Browns general manager who was hired recently by the Philadelphia Eagles as a part-time player per­sonnel consultant for the 2010 draft. Savage just finished his first season as the color commentator on Alabama football radio broad­casts.

“He impressed teams with his knowledge of the game and his understanding of what they were doing on defense at Alabama.”

The quote about how Jackson “interviewed extremely well” jumped out of the page at me. The Texans love that. They love smart, coachable players, especially if they are a defensive player from the SEC. (DeMeco Ryans is pretty much the platonic form of what they like in a player). They want to see some life behind the eyes, and saying that he “interviewed extremely well” + cornerback size + successful program background + good measurables made him sound like someone who would be a good fit with the team.

Why no trade down?

I think the biggest concern by some is whether the Texans should have moved down and still got Jackson. What I heard is that they tried. Gary Kubiak said in March that trading down is “probably a hell of a lot easier said than done.”

I believe that the Texans take a lot of care in drafting a player. A player as a person. Not a position. Not an assemblage of attributes. They want a player that they believe fits what they are doing on the field and will be a person that fits their locker room. So last year after they missed on the running backs they targeted in the third round, they didn’t pick any running back in the draft, and waited to get two undrafted running backs that they targeted.

I think this is the player they really wanted and didn’t want to risk not getting him.

That might seem obvious to do things that way but sometimes I think that fans just have a list of a position in their head, and they think they should just take whatever guy who is available in a position of need without regard to whether they think that person fits what they do or is the sort of person they want to coach.

Kareem Jackson is yet another Texan player who had no idea that the Texans were interested in drafting him. According to his phone interview after he was picked, the Texans interviewed him at the combine but didn’t call him or contact him after that.

• • •

Given how early on Friday I need to be functional, I need to wrap this up. Here’s some other suggested linkage:

I’d love for people to post in the comments whatever informational stuff they find on Jackson that they think people might be interested in. Make this be a collection of information on Jackson.

And if you have nothing to add, just use this space to welcome Kareem Jackson to the Texans. And for those who are inclined to hate the pick before Jackson takes the field, I would remind you of how some people felt that way about DE Mario Williams and LB Brian Cushing. Really, I shouldn’t even have to bring that up but instant analysis before the players get on the field is the norm. Maybe the more haterade there is for a pick, the better it will turn out.

I’m inclined to wait and see, but I can certainly see the rationale behind the choice.

As for the next draft rounds, I suggest that you expect the unexpected.

My KSK podcast debut

Kissing Suzy Kolber may be the most copied NFL humor site on the internet. Lots of funny, talented writers there. When people try to copy their format, and they aren’t as good on the writing side, you end up with painful results–especially with any number of cheesy sports radio blogs throughout the country who put up pictures of scantily clad womens and then write lame things lacking in irony and assorted humor.

The site is not for delicate flowers, those who take themselves too seriously and people who are easily offended. Lots of naughty words there and assorted vulgarities of a sexual nature and otherwise. You’ve been warned (or encouraged to go over there depending on your point of view).

In any event, KSK asked me to be a guest on their podcast this week. Podcast has me blathering about the NFL personal conduct policy and some of the legal matters relating to Ben Roethlisberger, and then we talk some about the Texans and how I got into doing some of this writing stuff. If you are bored, and want to listen to me blather, check it out.

There are naughty words in the podcast. I do not say any of them as I do not want to be recorded saying such things. I have been known to use cuss words however. I believe it is an impossibility to be a Texan fan who sat through every single play of this team and not have said things that are wildly profane.

Big thanks to “PUNTE” aka Josh Zerkle for asking me to do this. You can follow him on Twitter @PUNTE.

• • •

Oh, and I know a number of people missed my blog post of yesterday because I posted it so late. It has some cool music in it so check it out if you like music that is cool.

79 Responses

I recognize that I’m (very) far from an expert, but here’s what I’m thinking about Kareem Jackson and the Texans’s management:

1. How many premier, complicated passing attacks did he face in the SEC?

2. Is there one QB he faced that could legitimately be tagged as a future NFL star (the goofy Tebow reach notwithstanding)?

3. My impression is that he played more in a cover 2 type defense. This is not the kind of defense the Texans have shown under the Kubiak regime. What gives?

4. No one can convince me this player would not be available at least 10 picks later.

5. The biggest worry I have about this pick is the claim that they couldn’t find a partner to trade down. Really? Really? This tells me that Rick Smith is not on the speed dial of many teams.

I’m fully on board with waiting a year or two to see how this pans out. Secondary players are some of the hardest to grade based upon fragmented game footage. But all I can say is that Kareem Jackson was number 70 on my Board. The biggest beef I have is that this player would very likely be available several picks later. The fact that Smith couldn’t find a trading partner to move back worries me, worries me a lot.

I love him Steph. He is from the school of Demeco. I dont mean the same University either. Hard working talented football player who is not afraid to tackle and make plays. He isnt a project and as big a potential bust as Wilson was. Wilson was all hit or miss in my mind. Mc Courty was better than Wilson in that aspect. They are both projects though that cant start day one like Kareem can. He will be more solid with Cushing, Demeco, and Mario. I just hope this means we get the real steal of the draft???? Toby Gerhart.. He is the best RB underrated by stereotypes and misconceptions. He is everything the Texans missed last year in the run game. Someone else might think this way about him earlier than we pick though. Ben Tate is my next hope or Houston the DT or Price at DT. This draft could be a real solid team building draft. Playoff team draft. Every single year for a long time. Toby or Tate? Who do you like better? Someone else?

[I don’t really have a strong opinion. I know people who write about football aren’t supposed to give opinions of who they like over someone else but I don’t feel like I have enough info to make an educated decision. I haven’t seen anything other than just YouTube clips, measurables and what random people have said about the players. Usually after a pick, I can figure out why they went that way, but the draft is like opening presents but not getting to take them out of the box. -Steph]

Jackson was certainly not the sexy pick among fans or the Houston media (seemed like a lot of “group think” if you ask me) but Jackson definitely seems like a “fit pick” as you lay it out.

I seriously can’t get worked up about the pick. I don’t have a strong feeling one way or another except that it seems about right. It wasn’t a reach, he seems to fit the team well, and he’s a champion. You can’t have too many champions on your team if you want to be one.

Great blog post as always Steph! Here’s an article from macon.com that has a couple of quotes from our newest favorite Texan.

(Interesting side note: apparently, according to one of the commenters from the link above, his nickname is “Coco”. Team Coco FTW, Steph?)

So, I finally gave in and started following you on Twitter. Thought about just tweeting you the link but figured you, as a blogger, would probably appreciate the comment on here more lol.

[Thanks for the link. Yeah, I sort of see Twitter as best for real time info, and the blog as best as sort of a time capsule of what people were thinking at a particular time. (If you like the NFL and sports, follow some of the folks that I follow on Twitter–I have a lot of fun follows. Twitter is only as good as the people you read.). -Steph]

Are you at all concerned that in 2008 and 2009 he only had one interception? With the Texans defense needing turnovers those aren’t exactly overwhelming statistics. Plus, I think Kyle Wilson would have been much better on special teams (not to mention he had 5 interceptions). I realize interceptions aren’t everything for a cornerback but that’s still not very encouraging.

[Some stuff I read said that teams threw away from him but I do not know if that is accurate. The ESPN video said he has better ball skills than what he is given credit for. -Steph]

After re-reading your piece linked above previewing the draft, I kind of like Hardesty, Dwyer, Gerhart in that order of the RBs who are available.

[Rutroh, read previous comment. Will say that I heard from someone that the Texans told Dwyer that they liked him. That means he is certain not to be taken by them because usually their draft picks have no idea the Texans were interested. Sort of like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EkBuKQEkio “Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates….Moronsth!” -S]

cant say i’m not suprised that we did this but duane brown was’nt that high on mel kypers board or anybody’s either.got to say i think they know something that most teams dont.i can only hope that our staff thinks we need taylor mays,and he falls right into our lap to give us a physical edge over all the super elite teams in the nfl.ray rhodes to me is a secondary genius who can fix taylors coverage and bad angle problem.but if it doesn’t happen i guess mr.smith had something else in mind.i can see us fixing every problem in this draft on defense but we may have to use our 2nd and 3rd rounders on them.another player i would like to see is mount cody.who cares if this guy is a 2 down player,no one will get over 50 yards against us and 2: mario and amobi’s sack totals are going to take liftoff..we could send in frank the tank okam to spell mount cody when he gets winded.well we will see ,i,ve got alot of praying to due tonight,….dear lord thank you for my family and all the blessings you’ve given me,thank you for this great country,thank you for bringing us a team again and thankyou for hope.please send us taylor mays and mount cody.amen

Well he did have a whopping one interception last year, and an even more impressive one interception the year before. So he is obviously a real playmaker. I am sure Peyton Manning is shaking in his cleats right now.

And there sure were alot of other teams busy moving up…like Denver to get Tebow and Dallas for Dez right after the Texans picked, but you REALLY believe we couldnt trade down? Really?

Stephanie, you’re such a sycophant for Uncle Bob, Dick Smith, and Kubiak that it defies logic. If they’d tried to draft Mario again you’d say what a great move that would have been because we could use two Marios, but alas he was already on the team and unavailable for the draft…

And you probably would have “actually almost [written] an entire blog post about him before the draft” in that situation too. lol

As outstanding as your information is, and as crazy good as your stats and sources are, your analyses can’t be taken seriously because of your unconditional protectionism of the Three Stooges. What up with that?

[Yes, if they could get another Mario Williams at the 20th pick, I would do that everyday and Sunday. And just because I don’t name call, pretend like I’m smarter than they are because I slept at Holiday Inn Express last night etc, doesn’t mean I can’t be critical if I have reason to do so. (See e.g. my commentary on Richard Smith, me saying unhappy things about the defense, secondary, running game etc). But overall, I tend to be sympathetic to decision makers, whether it is in sports or otherwise. It’s not easy to build things—building a winning team when everybody else is trying hard to do the same thing and there is no one right way of doing it. If you would like for me to write grumpier, then perhaps I should be a Bronco or Buccaneers fan or something. -Steph]

This isn’t haterade per say, but I do think we’re still somewhat suffering from the “Pay Me Rick.” experience.

Another part of me thinks Frank Bush and David Gibbs had something to do with this pick, and so like all the other bloggers offering the “I haven’t watched a billion hours of tape.” disclaimer I offer the same disclaimer.

It would be nice if the Texans could get Linval Joseph in round 2 and then the running back in round three, but they’ll probably get

Montario Hardesty, or Jonathan Dwyer, or Ben Tate, with pick 2.

Now they say the draft is deep at defensive tackle too, so there’s that, and we won’t have to pay one in Haynseworth bucks.

I guess because of the whole CBA thing there are a lot of good prospects this year across a lot of positions.

“Well, some people don’t like the Texans picking Kareem Jackson at 20. I am not one of those people. ”

I cant remember you ever criticizing them. Have you? It is one of the dangers of being a quasi-journalist. You cover them, get to know some of them, like them and then lose all sense of objectivity.

[I am a fan. Most people who cover sports are fans, that’s why they got into sports, but journalism rules don’t allow them to express that fandom in the press box. I want them to win so bad that I am afraid of how much money I’d be willing to pay to see that happen. My fandom is very transparent but I don’t think self-delusion is what I want to read or what other people want to read. There’s any number of times that I’ve said critical things about the team. See e.g. http://blogs.chron.com/texanschick/2009/07/houston_texans_training_camp_p.html and http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/texans-defense-is-the-worst-in-the-nfl/ and this shows up as a first hit google search when you type “fire richard smith” http://blogs.chron.com/texanschick/2008/10/why_texans_defensive_coordinat.html . I’m just not going to be overly critical of a draft pick I’ve rarely seen play and who hasn’t taken one NFL snap. There is a professional industry of instant reflexively negative draft analysis for picks outside Kiper/McShay/Mayocks’ worldview but I don’t want to participate in that because it would be intellectually dishonest for me to do so. In circumstances like this, I’m just going to pass along information and let people draw their own conclusions and wait and see. I do think that Jackson is going to have a tough time. Unlike Cushing at linebacker, rookie corner is a hard place to shine because mistakes are so obvious and disastrous. Lots of good QBs early in the schedule, and the Texans don’t have a great history with their pass rush. Thanks for leaving your comment on this subject because it is something worth talking about. -Steph]

Well we filled a need, which is good. How well he turns out, we’ll see. The good thing is that we have some awesome guys on D who can help develop him. I think it’s a good pick, but as always “only time will tell”.

I have to wonder though…looking at the Broncos, how is trading so difficult? I think they need to do some better networking with the other teams.

I have no problem with the pick, I am sure he will be an asset for the Texans. I guess it is just the overall outlook of the Texans that puzzles me. We let one good defensive corner go and picked up another good, although less experienced corner back. Your still going to pay this kid a hell of a lot of money. It is a wash by my reasoning. How are we ahead of where we were last season? If you really wanted the Mathews kid, you should plan on being aggressive enough to move up to get him. San Diego apparently valued him more.

[There’s a question of whether Dunta Robinson was a good corner. There’s questions about this data, but here’s an example: http://bit.ly/bc4pfI So basically, the Texans exchange an extremely expensive corner who is a known quantity of debatable ability (with a injury history) with a an unknown quantity in a rookie. If you keep DR at a huge expense, you keep a guy that was well liked in the lockerroom, you don’t have to take CB high in the draft and you get “cover”–all corners get burnt, but at least people could say that he’s a well paid vet. I think the franchise money paid last season let them confirm enough of his performance to make them believe they wanted to go a different direction. There was no doubt that Matthews was “The Guy” that San Diego coveted…there’s been that talk for weeks, and some thought they would have traded up with the Texans to get him, but I guess they worried he’d be gone. I don’t know for sure, but I think the Texans valued him that much higher than guys who can be found lower in the draft. Lots of fans feel that way at least. -Steph]

Typical spin on yet another questionable Texan draft choice. He was ranked at the bottom of the second round (No. 52) and Huston drafted him No. 20?…..After a spattering of applause at the draft party from the usual lemmings,boos and stunned silence filled the back room. When a Houston fan was asked on t.v. what he thought of the choice, his response pretty much summed it up. “Hey, it’s the Texans”.

of defensive-back evaluators, NFL Nets Mike Mayoc, had this guy rated with Haden & Wilson as one of the top 3 corners. We knew Haden would be gone and therefor the Texans got to choose from all corners after him so obviously they got their man.

This pick feels somewhat like last years top pick to me because we’re talking about a guy who was a multi-year starter at one of the countrys top programs, except unlike Cushing this guy competed in the very best college conference in the country and yet Jackson didn’t have some of the injury issues Cushing had.

I would not have minded the Texans choosing either Dan Williams or Iowas OT Bugla (spelling ?)

who were both on their Board, and taking their corner and running back in later rounds, but they obviously really liked Jackson and replacing Dunta Robinson would appear to be their top priority in this Draft.

fantasy pick: i really thought we were gearin up to bomb the draft and get CJ Spiller, but its the Texans “keep dreamin”

Ryan Matthews: San Diego hit us with the blindside on that one. cant wait to see them this year!!!!

Earl Thomas: By far my biggest disappointment of the night. i thought the eagles would jump to get him but didnt. given us time to make a run for him, i felt we couldve have gotten him.

Kyle Wilson & Dez Bryant: Dez is a raw talent [VALUE] that needs the proper help, i felt Andre could easily show him how to go about your business on and off the field. Kyle Wilson [VALUE & NEED] is better than Jackson in my eyes Rex Ryan’s defense will make him a pro bowler

KAREEM JACKSON :

solid pick no doubt, safe pick that will fit right in and go to work. “WELCOME TO THE FAMILY”

Hardknocks leaves with this:

what if Tim Tebow was in a Dos Equis commercial?

“He built a small village with two sticks and chewing gum”

” He put out a 5 alarm fire with a bag of salt”

“He recorded the 2010 censius just by putting his hand on the ground”

” He is the most overrated man in america”

“God Bless You”

seriously why is the media so stuck on this kid, NFL teams cant wait to hit him. i dont if im hatin or not but can we please talk about all the picks before we spend 30mins watchin him play basketball….

[Haha. Who knows about Tebow? He might be good but really there is very little I like about Denver’s moves since Shanahan got fired. I have zero confidence in McDaniels. Kubiak used up some good will right away by making some unpopular decisions, but compared to McDaniels it is nothing. I wasn’t disappointed about Thomas or Spiller because I didn’t expect them to be available nor did I think the Texans should have used up picks to move up. Wilson is in a good situation. He may not get as many opportunities in nickle but with that pass rush up front, and the sort of defense they run, he is going to be very very protected. Hard to make the probowl under those circumstances though. On the other hand, Jackson is going to be thrown to the wolves. He better be “the most pro-ready” corner because the Texans don’t have a ton of experienced options. -Steph]

I thought it was a great pick, and really establishes that the Texans are thinking about the draft the right way. They absolutely needed a CB, and the word was that CB was thin after the top 4 or 5 so it was better to go CB early in this draft. Williams is a 3-4 NT, and so not a perfect fit, so they needed to focus on CB with their pick. Of the CB on the board, Jackson was the smart move. Many had him rated as the #2 CB behind Haden. Jackson is a better move than Wilson and McCourty because he is a proven commodity having played in the SEC and having started for 3 years. He is the most likely of the 3 to be starting at CB Opening Day. He has the highest floor, and as a junior still plenty of upside. He also is the best cover corner of the 3, and since he can play bump-and-run, it gives the Texans an option to play man with he and Glover while they send everyone else after the QB. The fact that Wilson and McCourty are better special teams players should not be a major factor when you need a starter at CB, and you already have a good return man in Jones. lastly, a trade down would have been ok, but they knew the Ravens were eyeing Jackson with the 23rd pick. So that meant they could only drop down 1 or 2 spots (to 21 or 22), which left them with very few trade-down partners. And it probably means they would have only gotten a 4th or 5th round pick, even if those teams would have been willing to move down. I think the Texans played it smart, and they got the guy they wanted.

[Nice points. Patriots may have been tempted to take a Saban guy because Saban-Belichick are buds. When three good corners are on the board, why trade up a few spots if you know you are going to get someone good without giving up anything? -Steph]

I’m not overly excited but think its a solid pick. He started 3 years as compared to Kyle and McCourtney playing 4 years yet he was slightly better. This means he hasn’t hit the ceiling yet and has a better upside.

Just as I predicted, and this guy is good from a systematic good defense, individual ball hawking skills are questionable.

I noticed you keep mentioning Mario as though that was such a great pick when Dwight Freeny is the best DE of that draft class and Mario has yet to develope that reputation of being a beast on the D Line, he seems to lack the motor you would like to see within your DE, but it seems as though the Texans fans are elated to be mediocre and they keep mentioning Mario as though he is a game changer and to this day he hasn’t done that.

But it will be interesting to see what they do the rest of the way and this coming season will let them know whether they are for real.

[Dwight Freeney wasn’t in Mario’s draft class. He came out in 2002. As far as Mario’s motor, the dude played the third most snaps of any 4-3 defensive end last year with a messed up shoulder. A shoulder is a rather handy thing for a DE to have working. Do I think Mario could be better? Sure, and I think he will be. But I’m not sure what your expectations for that position are–even in a down year for him, he was still one of the most productive 4-3 DEs in the league and I’d hate to see what would happen if he had to miss time. If I had my way, I would love for them to add an experienced, great veteran presence to that line so it wasn’t just the Mario Williams + the other guys show. None of these linemen have had solid mentors to show them how its supposed to be done. Pretty evident given Amobi’s recent comments about learning how to prepare in the off-season. -Steph]

Jackson wasn’t who I expected, but I’m an idiot blog commenter. The more I read about him the more I like. Started at Bama as a freshman, was on a national championship team, and I always like to hear things like “smart” and “coachable”. At the end of the day, the Texans were able to get the guy they felt was at least the second best CB in the draft. That’s pretty good for having the #20 pick.

I like the pick of Jackson. There were injury questions and more of a flash-in-the-pan feeling with Wilson (hence why McCourty was taken before him as well). Jackson isn’t considered a star, but as McShay said, he’s the most complete CB and ready to start right away.

That being said, can you explain what this whole fascination with Gerhardt is? Mathews would have been perfect for this system as a 1-cut-and-go back, but Gerhardt is a between the tackles runner, and our tackles have a lot to be desired.

[The short answer with Gerhart supporters? Goal line, short yardage. Do you like seeing the Texans in short yardage? You should but you don’t because it has been below abysmal. The thought is that if you have a physical guy that can get yard no matter what your guys do up front, maybe this is not an issue any more. He’s not quite as big as a Mike Alstott, one of the best power backs of all time, but the theory with Gerhart would be the same. Run over people and hurt them. Kill kill KILL! GRRRRRR! You want to increase the physicality of your team? That would be an option. -Steph]

Don’t take the other posters’ criticisms personally – you’re an excellent writer, a talented blogger, and incredibly insightful. You set the standard for Texans coverage, as far as I’m concerned, and the fact that you are up front about your fandom only enhances that fact. These guys don’t know what they’re talking about, and usually they’re just looking for an outlet to fixate their negativity on with no real justification. You also answer them with class, and that can’t be understated. We’re lucky to have you.

That said, I want to fixate. Like, hard. I, too, don’t understand why they didn’t move down. I know why they didn’t trade with the Cowboys: Jerry plays us this year, and he’s a little too competitive with McNair (why is beyond me, but there’s a history there, like cancelling last year’s pre-season game because it was our turn to host instead of his new stadium, and Jerrah-don’t-play-dat), but I don’t see why any of the other teams that had been looking to trade up couldn’t have made it work. I mean, do we really think if Denver had offered us that incredibly sweet deal to move into 20 and draft Tebow that we wouldn’t have jumped on it because Kareem Jackson wouldn’t be there when it was our turn??? Please. Even if he weren’t, Kyle Wilson would have been a heck of a consolation prize (or Dan Williams, or several other players I won’t go over because of threats to blood pressure).

To be clear, I don’t have a problem with the pick. I do generally trust these guys because of their previous stellar drafts, and I’m honest enough to say that I have no idea who Jackson is, what his talents are, or why he would be better/worse than any other player. I fully expect and hope that he becomes another in a line of great Texans first round picks being considered for rookie of the year (and, BTW, welcome to Houston, Kareem – you’ll love it here; we’ll certainly love you). I do know that, at least as far as expectations and analysis before the draft, I feel that they got poor value compared to possible value. It was very likely they could have traded back with many of the teams after them, gotten the same player, and possibly picked up an extra 3rd round pick (or more). I don’t know who or how, and I know the obvious retort is “well no one wanted to trade with us” or whatever, but if we knew the guy we wanted would be available much later (or another guy we would have been happy to get), then Smith should have FOUND a trading partner instead of waiting for one to fall in his lap. Granted, I don’t know what happened, and for all I know he DID contact other teams willing to move up that moved up later but couldn’t close the deal (perhaps because 20 had such a higher percieved value that they weren’t open to it, but a few spots later they expected the cost to be less and so were willing). Can you imagine how happy we’d be if Denver traded exactly what they did to move up to grab Tebow where they did to instead move up to 20 and grab him? We’d all be dancing-level-ecstatic, and that’s at the SAME price.

So, anyway, here’s my hopes and dreams to be dashed immediately: I am absolutely dumbfounded that Kindle is still on the board. I know we don’t need him, I know it’s a luxury, but at some point you gotta recognize that the player is too good to pass on AGAIN. As the Jets showed when they grabbed Wilson, there’s nothing wrong with strengthening a strength; Linebackers may be a strength, but what do you think would give us a better pass rush: Kindle, Ryans, and Cushing, or whatever DT they could pick up and plug in? Our corners would fare a lot better (and look a lot better) if we improved the pass rush, and there’s no other option we have that could give us near that production. Maybe we just need to spend a few draft picks in next years draft and lower ones this year to get him AND the RB we want, but I think it’s worth it now. We’re so much closer now than we’ve ever been, and this year is so deep because of all the Juniors coming out, it seems to me that next year’s draft would be thinner because of this and thus a lesser opportunity cost payment to move up if we can offer some next year picks to move up and get two 2nd rounders. Speaking of, I’d really like Gerhart, too. I know that’s bandwagon, but guy’s gonna have a chip on his shoulder – and Stanford means that the chip has to share space with a head on those shoulders, too. Smart, driven, productive, with all the measurables and tangibles? No brainer. I’d also like to see us pick up that Rhodes scholar for a FS project later on. Of course, now that I’ve said that, it won’t happen.

Oh, and Lamarr Houston would be nice. He plays Okoye’s position and all, but he would make for some interesting “put your best 11 guys on the field” lineups that could wreak some HAVOC in this division.

Let’s wish ourselves luck tonight; GO TEXANS!

It’s also why I’ve given my students pop quizzes all day and informed them that if Kindle is available at our next pick and we pass him up, they’re getting essays assigned next week.

[No, I don’t take those criticisms personally. I know when I’m reading people’s stuff, I’m interested to know what their biases are, and if someone isn’t terribly familiar with my writing over the years, they might think that I’m a homer miss merry sunshine cheerleader whatever sorta of fan because that’s the stereotype, and there are a lot of those. Everybody thinks that they are the realist, and everyone else who disagrees with them is either a homer or pessimist or whatever label. I think it is good to get biases out in the open–lots of people in the world means lots of opinions, and I have a bias against group think so I like hearing different points of view. As for the trade down thing, I think that link I gave from Kubiak is pretty much spot-on. I think that they would have traded down if they had a good offer and thought they’d still get the player they wanted. A number of sites, such as Scouts Inc, (http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft ) had Jackson rated as the second best corner so it is hard to complain when the Texans got the guy that they really wanted without having to trade up. As for Kindle, this is what LZ was saying on his Tweets last night (really should follow this if you aren’t): “Getting obvious that rumors of Sergio Kindle’s medicals were true. If it isn’t medicals then it is character. Either way, not good for him” http://twitter.com/ZReportDraft/status/12677415874 There are two basic things that outsiders do not have as good of information on as insiders–what was said in interviews and medicals, so when guys drop, you wonder about medicals and character. Love seeing your comments around here, BTW. -Steph]

yea i never liked Josh mcmoron from the start, talk about red flags. after the brandon marshall trade brandon referred to him as “Josh” anytime a player talks about his coach by first name basis shows that they didnt see him as an authority figure. he just seems like that spoiled kid with all the kool toys, if you make him mad you cant play here anymore. then to give up THREE picks for him? Ozzie had to be laughin after he hung up the phone that night. i can see them at the dinner table, its completely quiet to bless the food…. and EVERBODY busts out laughin LMFAO!!!!

As For The Texans:

steady as she goes, like how we are not jumpin as things happen. i like how we know what we want out this draft and we are not wavering.

it reminds of that story about the “Cows down by the river and the Two Bulls on the hill”… life lesson story i tell you….

Addressing Eric K’s good Questions, the Texans’ two biggest needs are RB and CB. Any RB picked at 20 would have been a huge stretch. So, working from that perspective, here are my answers:

How many premier, complicated passing attacks did he face in the SEC?McCourty and Wilson played in the WAC and Big East. What kind of competition did they face?

Is there one QB he faced that could legitimately be tagged as a future NFL star (the goofy Tebow reach notwithstanding)?Same answer as #1. Who did the other guys face?

My impression is that he played more in a cover 2 type defense. This is not the kind of defense the Texans have shown under the Kubiak regime. What gives?Don’t know enough about the defense scheme he played in, but all the analysis on him is that he’s a very smart football player and is very coachable.

No one can convince me this player would not be available at least 10 picks later.The Texans weren’t picking 10 picks later and couldn’t trade down. This is a non-argument.

The biggest worry I have about this pick is the claim that they couldn’t find a partner to trade down. Really? Really? This tells me that Rick Smith is not on the speed dial of many teams.You seriously think NFL GMs only take calls on draft day from their buddies? They wouldn’t be NFL GMs for long if they did. More likely, Smith didn’t want to give up half his draft picks on a player that wasn’t a sure bet (Matthews) and wasn’t being given enough in return from other teams to warrant moving down.

Many Texans fans were clamoring for Wilson. Scouts Inc. rated Jackson even with Haden and (slightly) above McCourty. Kiper had Jackson as the #2 CB after Haden. The Patriots selected McCourty over Wilson. Are we questioning Kiper’s, McShay’s, and Belichek’s evaluative skills too? I hate the bridge troll but you can’t argue with his eye for talent. Kiper has a pretty good track record as well.

The fact is, the top four CBs were very closely rated by most experts so it comes down to non-positional factors. Jackson played for a major program for a top coach, won a championship in a complex defensive scheme, and was a three year starter. Are we really this distraught about the Texans filling their biggest need with a guy who many experts rated as the best player available at that position? If that’s all we have to complain about in this draft I’d give it an A+.

I have no problem with Jackson. He fills a need and from what I read, some of the “experts” had him second behind Haden. I’m still upset we didn’t get Matthews. I hope San Diego had to give up the farm to move from 28 to 12. That being said, I hope Lamarr Houston is still on the board when we pick in the second round and then we pick the best available running back in round 3.

I just wanted to comment again, this time on McDaniels. The first half of last night he was the belle of the ball, trading down, compiling picks, building his empire, and then he got hit with the stupid stick and traded much of it away for… Tebow?! DOH!!

[I have less problem with him getting Tebow, and more problem with the the totality of all of his moves. He improves the defense and then gets rid of the defensive coordinator that helped fix the defense. He runs off various players and does it very publicly. Who wants to play for that guy? It’s like he’s systematically trying to get rid of the best parts of the Broncos and being a jerk in the process. Wha? -Steph]

You know it’s funny. There has only been one year that I can remember where there wasn’t some sort of major uproar over who the Texans, under Koobs, drafted with their 1. That was the second year when they drafted Okoye who was 19 at the time.

Everyone was pretty happy with that to the most part except the neg nags like Joasis who will never get over the Texans not drafting his idol VY!

Still all of the 1st round picks are solid contributing starters and two of them are all pro!

We tend to forget that it takes time to develop players in the trenches. You watch neither Suh or McCoy are going to dominate the game coming in. These are full grown savvy MEN they are going to be going against, EVERY WEEK, EVERY PLAY!

The point here is the most controversial 1st round picks are Williams, Brown and Cushing. So the score is Texans 3 stupid two year old emotional negative fans 0! LOL

In fact the Texan draft efficiency is the top 5 in the NFL during Kubes run.

It’s one thing to have a preference, it’s all together a different issue to throw you self on the floor and kick and scream like a two year old when it does go the way you want!!

Anyways Steph,great job as usual bringing the info to the table. The two year olds well not get it because they cannot read, especially when having a hissy fit! LOL I appreciate it.

In my early draft pref, back in Jan. I wanted D Williams at 1 and Matthews at the 2nd. When Thomas declared I put him at a coin toss between him and Williams.

We had a shot at Williams and I not so sure that wouldn’t have been the better pick, IN THE LONG RUN. I surely know that it is not in the short run.

I do believe we have a D Williams type on our team now in Del Juan who may be better then D Williams now.

When I analysed the draft from a need and Texans draft mindset aspect I found only one guy that MAY be available at the 20 who fit their criteria of being an instant impact starter, Matthews. Well the Bolts sold the farm to get him. I am glad we did not do that. We are not at that place to spend a lot asset on one guy, especially one with an injury history! The Bolts are.

So what the Texans have done makes a lot since here. They went out and got the 2nd player on their board that fit their MO of finding starters with 1st rounders. They did it with Brown with pretty good success and Brown is not far from being an upper echelon LT in this league, especially in the Texan O scheme.

The Texans don’t like taking ‘fliers’ with their 1 pick. They do look for those seven characteristics. Wilson is more flashy but he is not as consistent and I think the Texans want solid, quality, team guys who can play but are not cocky self centered. Jackson is quiet, stable, and TOUGH. ANd the Texans want to change their defensive mentality to being more tough. Jackson is 10 times better then Wilson in playing the run and Tackling and his cover skills may be as good or better, especially at this time.

Wilson is a nickle CB with Special teams. McCourty would of been picked before Wilson.

There are guys here who just get so set on a player they get tunnel vision. NOT A GOOD IDEA.

Oh, they are setting themselves up again, they want Gebhart. I like Tate better and maybe Dwyer too. Better burst and a little more wiggle and in the Zone scheme, burst and the ability to change directions and vision are key elements, not straight ahead raw power. Toby fits a power scheme like Baltimore, he does fit ours. IMHO

[I agree that Gerhart is not a typical old school Bronco style back. But few picks that the Texans could make would surprise me. -Steph]

like the pick, had a need a filled it with a good player that is ready to play now. i respect the texans in how they draft, they do it smart. and their track record speaks for itself. jackson and quinn could potentially be our starting CBs for the next 7 years.

i see alot of experts have kareem rated high as well. his physical and i like that we look for that type of player on defense. suprised we didn’t get Dan Williams but he feel so far for a reason i guess. maybe next yeard draft we can get that big o’l mean DT we all want.

who you think we target in the 2nd, Gierhart? Dwyer? Banks? what about trading up and getting Taylor Mays?

[No telling. With all this time before the second round, tonight could be interesting for all the teams. -S]

If Rick Smith had practiced what he preached and taken the Best Player Available vs a position of need the Texans would have been better served. Rick did say in his pre draft speech and he repeats it every year, the one thing you can’t do early is draft for a position of need. If he truly believed that then the Texans should have drafted Bryan Bulaga, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant or Jerry Hughes. The Colts have Mathis and Freeny and drafted Jerry Hughes. I think Polian understands taking the BPA. I wish the Texans did.

[How can you say that DE wasn’t a position of need for the Colts? Mathis and Freeney aren’t getting any younger, and are undersized guys who fit their system but may be more prone to injury. And from a draft grade perspective, you can argue that Jackson WAS the best player available (at least that they liked–I’m not sure Dez was on their board). See e.g. Scout’s draft grades: http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft -Steph]

I loved the Kareem Jackson pick since I realized that he was the best available.

I want to see the Texans take 2 running backs today to increase competition. Toby Geerhart in Round 2 and the best available running back in Round 3. Seriously, who else besides Geerhart fits the Texans system better? This should be a no-brainer which means that Rick Smith will find a way to screw this pick up. Mr. Smith’s decision not to resign Dunta Robinson is the reason why the Texans were forced to draft a cornerback. Draft, Develop, and Release must be the franchise’s strategy based on the way Smith treated Dunta.

Only the Astro’s GM can be viewed as a bigger idot. Actually Drayton McClane would be the bigger fool since he allowed this joke to remain and the Astros are now on pace to lose 100 games. what vision.

Well, your referral to the “NFL Souting Combine Report…” is a bit misleading. If you’da let me know that was a piece penned in the local ALABAMA paper I’d doubt I’d woulda read it, and sorry , but you cain’t lead off the story giving yourself credit for an article you ALMOST wrote, but didn’t. Other than that, all things considered it’s a good pick if the ink on the guy is correct.

[Some people actually want to read things written by people who actually saw the player play. The articles explain why Jackson’s draft stock went up after the combine–that there were concerns about his top end speed, and those went away when he ran fast. Some people might be interested in that information, some people might not. Your results may vary. I am not trying to give myself credit but rather explain why my immediate reaction to the pick was not total shock like it was for some. Jackson was a name that we had discussed on the blog as a possibility at 20. On the blog, I try to direct people to things that they might find interesting, but different folks are interested in different things–makes the world more interesting. -Steph]

We didn’t trade back because everyone knew the Texans weren’t going to take Dez Bryant. So @$#$$

Stupid.

Everyone else between 20-32 was a pick em for team interpretation and team need.

The Texans weren’t a threat to take Bryant so no one was calling. Period.

One of the few times I’ve been really upset at mgt of Smithiak. Not because I don’t like the pick. I’m fine with it.

Its the value lost because we couldn’t see past Bryant’s issues to realize we could trade him and get better in return.

MT

[The Texans just paid a decent amount of money for #2 Kevin Walter. Jacoby Jones was the most effective WR under 50 catches. They have two other corners under contract, and have just come off a season with the most passing yards in the NFL. The Texans just lost their “franchise” corner. Dez has an immature reputation. It’s not like the Texans were plausibly going to take him or a lock that someone else would deal for him. -Steph]

I want to see the Texans take 2 running backs today to increase competition. Toby Geerhart in Round 2 and the best available running back in Round 3. Seriously, who else besides Geerhart fits the Texans system better? This should be a no-brainer which means that Rick Smith will find a way to screw this pick up. Mr. Smith’s decision not to resign Dunta Robinson is the reason why the Texans were forced to draft a cornerback. Draft, Develop, and Release must be the franchise’s strategy based on the way Smith treated Dunta.

=================

b…one question about your post. Do you honestly believe Dunta was worth a franchise tag or the money that Atlanta gave him? I mean he did have zero interceptions last year and the most memorable play he made was followed by a bone-headed celebration that actually cost the Texans on the next play because he was out of position. If you think Rick should have signed him for the money that he ended up getting, I have some old football cards from the late 80’s and early 90’s I’ll give to you in bulk for about $1,000 or so, even though they are probably worth nowhere near that.

I don’t know if you have the resources to do it right now, but how many of last years ALL-Pro picks, (Not Pro Bowl, diluted) were first round draft picks.

I have this top-of-my-head theory that 1st round picks are a bit overrated. To me, your meat and potatoes and the picks that separate the good from the bad are your 2-5th round picks, particularly 2-3 round (Ryans, Winston, Daniels 4th). I know Cushing is an exception, but I’m not really feeling any emotion for the Jackson pick other than “wait and see”.

[I do not know. I’m sure someone out there has looked into that. What I like are first round picks that you don’t have to pay first round money for. Also, I will note that the previous GM completely devalued lower round picks. He had some silly chart he put together about the success of different rounds in the league, failing to acknowledge that lower round players have value at depth and at fitting your particular scheme. -S]

” If I had my way, I would love for them to add an experienced, great veteran presence to that line so it wasn’t just the Mario Williams + the other guys show. None of these linemen have had solid mentors to show them how its supposed to be done.”

What about Antonio Smith? I thought that was part justification for his big money contract…..

Do you think he has proven his worth in games and out of games with the younger players on the D line?

[Antonio Smith has been a nice add. He played good down the stretch. He got a big contract because he is the beneficiary of some great timing and was one of the best free agents who was available. But he is not a great vet with a huge history of success. He went to a Super Bowl but he’s not like a Pro Bowler. The most sacks he’s ever got was 5.5. I talked about this a while back when I discussed Michael Strahan’s book. Strahan learned tricks from great vets, and then he took responsibility for learning up the linemen after him. The vets that have school the guys growing up through the Texans d-line have been Anthony Weaver, Antonio Smith and Jeff Zgonina. No Michael Strahan in the bunch. The greatest challenge the Texans have faced is developing young players with no great vets to mentor them. Coaches can only do so much–teammates are often the best teachers–to show how things are done instead of tell. When Williams and Ryans came to the team, they were instantly the best players on the team, but that’s not to say that they couldn’t have benefited from having a great vet showing them how to do things. OTOH, with limited rosters, the problem with bringing great vets in is that they want playing time that might hinder the guys you want to develop. This may be worth an extended post at a later time. -Steph]

Now that my catharsis is complete (and now that I’ve had a chance to read that link and see the post from Lance on the medicals -I’m still not on the twitter thing, or the facebook thing for that matter- not to mention read more on Jackson), I find myself not nearly as bothered as before. I do like Jackson (and never meant to hint otherwise), and if it’s true that we wouldn’t have had a chance at him later because someone else would have grabbed him, then I understand and am much more comfortable with the pick.

By the way, I still don’t buy that article you linked to about trading down, mostly because it ignores whether the guy they picked after the trade down was the guy they would have picked anyway had they not traded down. For instance, the first trade down it evaluates is Baltimore getting Joe Flacco and the Texans getting Duane Brown, Steve Slaton, and Dominique Barber out of it. The analysis is that Baltimore “won” because Flacco has been so much more productive.

1. Flacco has had exactly one good year (the second half of which was not nearly up to the level the first half set, as my fantasy team can attest), and since it was more recent it gets extra weight in his analysis. The year before last he was carried (heavily) by the Defense while he was learning, but it skews the overall analysis. Slaton and Flacco have each had one good and one not so good year; Slaton’s good year was better than Flacco’s, and his worse year was worse. Flacco’s good year was more recent and Flacco is a QB, so his “good year” weight gets skewed and does not offer a valid, reasoned, and objective analysis.

2. Had we stayed and picked Flacco, he would not have done a THING to justify it. Why? Matt Schaub. He never would have seen the field last year, or the year before when we had Sage to take over for Matt. If we had done as the article implied was the better idea and taken Flacco, the pick would be considered wasted right now. Consider, then, that while the author is using Flacco’s performance to say “don’t trade down”, if that trade isn’t made then Baltimore doesn’t get Flacco, Flacco doesn’t see the field behind Schaub and Rosenfels, and everyone is left scratching their head asking why the Texans would take such a project at such a non-need position early on, and Smithiak ends up taking flak (pun intended) from the fans for something this guy specifically says would have been the genius move WITH the benefit of hindsight. It becomes absurd to argue it, frankly, to it’s logical conclusion.

3. LT’s are right up there with QB’s in importance, but much harder to stand out in. The argument could be made that Brown has had as much success at his position relative to the success of Flacco at his, but it just can’t be measured as easily nor is it so readily apparent because of the nature of the positions. His value assessment does not take that into account (nor the fact that the team around them has as much to do with their performance – if you give the Texans Baltimore’s defense with Brown on it, but then gave Baltimore the Texans’ defense on those respective years, do we really keep saying Flacco is so much greater? Win/loss analysis has a lot to do with it, and I don’t see the Ravens doing quite as well those years if they don’t have that defense… which Flacco, as QB, had absolutely not one iota of an effect on). It becomes a lot harder to defend the author’s premise when reciprosity and other tools to make it an apple-to-apple comparison are brought into the equation, doesn’t it?

4. The Texans were already targeting Duane Brown and would have picked him there if they hadn’t found a trade partner (we know this from subsequent interviews). So, essentially, all we did was add a 1300 yard rusher and starter at Safety for doing EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE ANYWAY. Considering that it was entirely possible Flacco may have lasted till that pick if the trade isn’t made (and thus BOTH teams end up with exactly the same players, not just the Texans), you have to factor in the opportunity cost of what they gave up to get him against the probability that he would still have been available… and that analysis shifts the trade down HEAVILY in favor of the Texans. In other words, the realistic options for the Texans were A)draft Duane Brown early with a reach, or B)trade down and draft Brown with Slaton and Barber, too. It’s hard to see how this guy can still argue that it WASN’T the best decision. At bear minimum, it ended up being mutually beneficial, which brings me to:

5. This analysis and conclusion ignores and dismisses the idea of mutually beneficial conclusions for the concept of a winner/loser mentality that over simplifies an issue and attempts to compare things that are not compatible favorably to comparibility (like measuring a LT value against a QB value, as discussed). In other words, we make the trade, it benefits us both compared to where we would have been had the trade not been made. Since it benefits one team more (in at least one measurable/perceivable sense), then one team has to “lose”. Since one team has to lose, and it was the team that traded down, trading down must be a bad idea. If I’ve ever seen a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy…

Finally, 6. The analysis he gives that one good player is often times more valuable than a couple players just a few steps below is overly simplistic and incomplete. That’s true if the team in question already has nearly all of their positions filled and are looking for only one or two more pieces. For teams like the Rams, or Detroit, or even marginally much better but still not good teams like the Texans that year, however, the opposite is true since so many more holes can be filled and thus have a greater positive effect on the aggregate than just one player that is even much better than the others but can only affect one spot (this, of course, is irrespective of one individual on other individual’s play -see Cushing-, which cannot be measured or predicted and therefore isn’t an accurate rebuttal of this argument). If the alternative to trading down for Duane Brown and picking up those extra picks was that we had to roll with Chris Brown and Ahman Green as running backs and CC Brown at Safety (but, hey, at least we picked up Flacco and he’s winning us some games from his spot on the bench, right?), and you still think that “one good player is worth more than a couple players a few rungs down” is true, then I have some fantastic beach front property to sell you in Arizona. Also, that’s exactly what the Texans did in drafting Okoye instead of moving down and getting someone else, and it’s hard to argue now that it was the right decision (I like Okoye; this isn’t a slight on him but rather a highlight of just how flawed his argument is).

All this to say that, unless you’re only one or two players away from a deep super bowl run, several players outweigh one (especially depending on the players). Further, if you are a proven, excellent evaluator of talent, then the fact that you will make better picks with those extra ones certainly doesn’t hurt (signed, Owen Daniels, DeMeco Ryans, James Casey, and all the other low draft picks we’ve been able to find that are diamonds in the rough as far as out-producing their draft status). For teams that draft and evaluate talent so well, stockpiling extra picks actually makes the picks themselves more valuable, whereas if Casserly was running it he’d just throw them away anyway and so he would get no real value there (making the act of picking up extra picks actually less valuable). In our current case, while I am less convinced the we could still have gotten Jackson later (and less upset at the fall of other certain players), and additionally recognize that we are at least on the cusp of being a team that’s one or two pieces away and thus further devaluing the bonuses that extra picks would give us, I just can’t bring myself to say I’m 100% satisfied. Then again, I suppose that was the purpose of the catharsis – to allow me to vent enough that I’m now OK with and even slightly optimistic about the pick. Just looking forward to the next rounds…

As always, Go Texans!

[I don’t buy the analysis in that post either. I do think that the Kubiak quotes were interesting though because I don’t recall him ever talking about that. -Steph]

You can use a lot of arguments to defend your positions but when you have to use Todd McShay then your arguing from a point of weakness. There is a lot of huh on that list.

[Haha. I think all the public lists are sort of garbage, to be honest. I put that out there just because some people believe that Jackson at 20 was completely nuts….and just because John McClain, for example, wasn’t talking about him at 20 before the draft doesn’t mean that nobody was. (I’m not picking on John, I’m just saying that some fans don’t look at any Texan players beyond who local people are touting). I’m sure all sorts of rational arguments could be made that other players were better, but if you have a bunch of guys graded out roughly the same, then I don’t have a problem going for the blend of need/grade. -Steph]

KSK does it well. I’m a big fan of all the writers, but especially Magary. If you’ve never checked out FKS, you should, epic funny. Honestly, I use their (and Deadspin’s) blog roll as a way to find new and entertaining writing. The Jackson pick fills the ONLY absolutely gaping hole. I don’t watch enough college football to have a definitive opinion, but I feel good about the pick. I have confidence in the Texans since Smithiak took this thing over, at least with respect to the draft.RB and DL are the next two areas that could be vastly improved in the second round. Could they get better value going DL then RB, since that seems to be the deeper position? Interior OL is a need, also; but will a second/third round pick be anything other than added depth?I can’t wait until the season starts.

[I enjoy reading Drew a ton, though I have to say my all time favorite sports blog read is mjd, who has done Deadspin and FanHouse stuff and who is now over with the good group of sports bloggers at Yahoo!:http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner?author=MJD He’s a super nice guy too. -Steph]

@ Joasis … c’mon man! Have you ever had a positive post here on chron blogs about the Texans? If so, I’ve never seen it.

Everybody wants to bag on Rick & Smitty … uh hello, mork calling oson come in oson. They’ve only had top 5 rated drafts year after year. Remember when we had C&C idiot factory? Remember Travis Johnson, Jason Babin, Tony Hollings and Wrecked Carr? Oh God, the horror movie that used to be the Texans draft day.

We are SO close to being a solid playoff team I can smell it. Last year it’s a wonder how we weren’t a playoff team?

So many one things if onlys it boggles the mind but, the Texans did the right thing with Dunta and let him walk. I gave up on him when he drop that V Why dying quail shot put that was begging to be picked off. If it would’ve been, greater likelihood the Texans would’ve won the game and potentially we would snuckered the Jets because the tie breaker would’ve been a moot point.

I’m thinking the Texans are going to either go for Gerhart in the 2nd, Anthony Dixon in the 3rd and in whatever odd end round pick either a safety or a nickel corner to further bolster our improving, potentially nearly respectable secondary.

[Although I will say that part of that is opportunity. With two equivalent players, the higher round pick will get more playing time because of the investment involved. So much of the NFL is opportunity and fit within a team. But yeah, I wouldn’t wish to whiff on my first round pick. -Steph]

Jackson has been proclaimed by some as the most ‘NFL ready’ and ‘best cover corner’ in the draft. It’s all about the “cover corner” skills. Texans don’t just need another hard hitter that gets burned in zone coverage and can’t play man coverage.

Frank Bush is licking his chops thinking “if I can get this guy coached up enough to handle man coverage, just think of all the blitz packages I can put in for Pollard, Ryans and Cushing”

For the record I like Kareem Jackson. I think he will be a good CB in the league. However I don’t see him as an Elite shutdown cover corner. That is something you would hope for with a 1st RD draft pick. I thought that KJ was the most physical CB in this draft. I wonder if he will be more like Dunta, more interested in making a big hit vs making a play on the ball? KJ is closer to 4.5 than 4.3 so he may be a very good #2 CB.

My long shot for the best true Elite shutdown cover corner in this draft is Akwasi Owusu-Ansah. AOA may be the closest thing to Deion since Deion has retired.

On a separate note, Dez Bryant showed up with a full Posse at his Pro Day but forgot his track shoes. Jerry is going to give him $15 million. I think this is going to be interesting to watch.

[Actually, to be fair to Dez, he had a bag full of shoes when he showed up but not his favorite ones. I think the knock on him is not that he is a bad person but rather that he is immature and may not be trusted to prepare like a pro. WR can be flaky, but you don’t want to use a first round pick on flaky. We’ll see if Romo/Jerrah/Wade are strong enough personalities to make sure that Dez is able to show what he can do on the field. Upside on that is nice. Maybe Jerrah can spend all his money on wide receivers. -Steph]

round 2 should be spent on defense again, i say find another nickel corner and get a safety. 3RD -7TH on offense i’d say Emmanuel sanders-WR for special teams, Jacoby Ford- WR, Dexter Mcluster-RB [possible chris johnson 2.0], or Dorin Dickerson- TE [too small for TE but fast & large enough to be a tweener at RB]….

On one of the lead-ups to the draft last night (on ESPN, i think), they were going through every team and listing major additions/losses. I swear that I saw Jason Babin’s name listed as a major addition for some team. Really?????

It’s too early to tell if the pick was a good one, will know with time. They did need a corner and have one now. As far as not keeping DR, he made himself too expensive and overvalued. Now lets go ahead and get Gerhart in the second round if he’s not too white.

[Oh, then it is okay then as long as the media says so. I’m guessing Cowboy fans would like for you to not say jinx-worthy things though. Speaking of the media, have you seen this report from Adam Schefter of ESPN? “At least one team took Cowboys WR Dez Bryant off its draft board due to an irregular heartbeat. Other teams aware of issue.” http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter/status/12724802586 Good luck with your season except for when you play the Texans. -Steph]

Why aren’t you working for chron? Seriously after reading Mccain’s analysis last night I was livid. Kareem jackson can play! straight up at the end of the day the man can play and play well. To go to Alabama (Nick Saban country) and start as a freshmen for an ex Db coach for Bill Belicheck at that and to start! You joker’s are bashing taking this guy shows how clueless you are. As for some of your excuses for not playing complex offenses in the Sec. Your kidding right? I understand that Triple Option has premeditated reads for quarterback, however how on gods earth does that relate to how you defend it on defense? It doesn’t, not one bit. He went toe to toe with Percy Harvin his first 2 years and Tebow for 3, demaryious Thomas for 3 years. Find some footage of him getting burned all day long why don’t you? Ohh yeah, I know why you can’t because it doesn’t exist! Copy of smartkid you bunch of clowns!

Thanks for the great column, Stephanie. I have followed all of the Texans’ drafts. Since Kubiak came, I haven’t liked any of the Texans’ first round choices – except for Amobi Okoye. Although I’m a Mensa member, I think that I have learned that Kubiak-Smith are a lot smarter than I am when it comes to picking football players. I’ve learned to trust in them, even when I don’t understand and disagree. With a few minoe exceptions, they have made great picks. I’m betting that we’ll like Kareem Jackson once we see him play. That’s my opinion. Dan in Panama City, Florida

Great pick!! Getting ready for the 2nd round. Your right Steph it did feel like Christmas, felt strange on a thursday night. On the Niners coach Mike he is building a good Football team. He might be the best coach in the NFL. Good Job,

“Jackson was certainly not the sexy pick among fans or the Houston media (seemed like a lot of “group think” if you ask me) but Jackson definitely seems like a “fit pick” as you lay it out.”

Scotty is 100% right! Fair-weathered Texan fans are too desirous of a “sexy” team. All they care about is having a team that wins ball games and wins in the post season. Kubiak is building the club the right way. Lets not forget, that in four years, he has won two more games in a season then Dom Capers ever managed to.

Most ignorant fans like Joasis think the Texans can win just by doing the things that other teams that win in the NFL do. It’s not that easy. Smithiak is slowly but surely building a team that can at least be called reliable.

And calling you a sycophant is unfair. I am a regular reader of conservative blogger Texas Sparkle in the Chronicle Commons, and you remind me very much of her. Both of you use facts and an open mind to educate people about a topic you are passionate about. It is a beautiful thing. It’s like having our own local Glenn Beck and Greta.

ESPN gave Houston a “D” and Dallas a “B” on their respective draft choices. Their objective analysis obviously doesn’t fit well with Houston lemmings who fawn over every move…..As for irregular heartbeats, I expect you and your ilk to suffer many of those on Sept. 26th.

I wonder if Kareem Jackson will be able to cover Andre Johnson once training camp starts, and whose gear he’ll have to carry, and what Kinda haircut he’ll get.

You know Carr might play better back home. Some people get homesick. Home is where the love is, and we got tired of loving him after ? red zone interceptions. I would be surprised if he was ever a starter again. You brought it up. That reminds me of the end of the bar room brawl scene in “Shanghai Noon”.

You know, if an NFL coach didn’t cuss me out for doing that, I’d wonder what the hell is wrong with him.

Nowhere have I said that Jackson is a bad player or that the teams he faced had “bad” QB’s. It’s just my opinion that there were several other players on the board of better value.

Jackson played on a good team and may turn out to be a star. The point of my post is that the SEC had one team (Arkansas) that was in the top 40 in FBS in passing offense. He had something like 5 career interceptions (compared to Kyle Wilson’s 11) and defended all of 10 passes last year; and please don’t argue that other teams threw away from him because Arenas on the other side is another solid CB.

SEC players tend to be NFL ready, especially Saban players, which gives me hope he can contribute right away. But another part of me argues that Saban and his staff probably maximized the kid’s potential, so is there much upside?

Bottom line is that I believe the Texans could have picked the BPA, and that was not Kareem Jackson, rather than reaching for need.

Rick Smith is an idiot. He traded our pick away to somebody who could steal a player that would fit our system. Rick would find a way to screw up an ant farm.

Now, on to ESPN to figure out where the he!! this moron traded us to.

[Over at TexansTalk.com, they have a filter that prevents the word “idiot” from being used because it never leads to anything good. I think that is a good policy. Personally, if I were inclined to call someone that word, I’d wait until I saw the final result. -Steph]

@ The Source … Apparently you get your facts from the SAME source as Cowpattie man. Long on cliched verbiage but, as usual short on merit.

Rookie year … played with plantar fascitis. Rarely practiced but played in EVERY game.

2nd yr … had the stats to go pro bowl was snubbed out in favor of Jared Allen. Had 13 sacks.

3rd yr, another double digit sack total year and finally rewarded with a pro bowl selection.

2009 … was a little low on stat filling but was still making his presence known in virtually every game and oh yes, another pro bowl selection.

Did you see the NE game last year, Source? Mario gets a sack to force a punt late in the 4th and then after the Texans coming back to tie the game, we see later, yep that overrated, No impact Mario is lucky once again and forces Brady into an errant throw that Pollard picks off and thus facilitates the Texans turning the tide and winning a game that in previous time they normally wouldn’t.

It always helps to actually WATCH the games to render a proper and accurate analysis, eh … Sorcerer? 😀

Hey Cowpattie, do u think Dezzie will be this years Crabtree or Heyward-Bey? Hmmm … my money is on the latter. Please say he’ll be the next Michael Irvin, I need a good laugh! 😀

Anybody that criticizes a fan who spends so much of her time writing blog posts for FREE is…well…I can’t really say what they are but insert any choice word you would like in there.

Same goes for anyone who criticizes guys who make millions of dollars just to evaluate talent and draft who they want. A lot of Texans “fans” suck!

I’m with you Steph, I have to trust these guys, and I love the Texans. And I STILL think you are better than any of the other writers on Chron. Responding to asinine comments with class? McClain should take a page from your book, that guy acts like a whiny teenager when it comes to commenting. Keep up the GREAT work!

Well…considering I had 69 players rated higher…but I guess you are really asking who I would have picked?

Dan Williams was the highest rated player I still had on the board. I would have probably selected Kyle Wilson, though.

Regards

Eric K

[I can’t imagine as a fan having such certainty of value between players of different positions given the limitations of information we have. So you think that Belichick made a mistake taking McCourty over Wilson because you had Wilson rated higher, or are you fine with it because McCourty fits the Patriots system better? -Steph]

ive known kareem jackson since i was little, so im very proud of a friend that made it to the nfl. so to coco dont listen to the media and keep your head up and strive to be the best

[David, thanks for coming by and sharing that. I have a love/hate relationship with draft hype. On one hand, it is the best way for fans to learn about the incoming players. A sport where fans know the players is a more popular sport, and the increased draft coverage is good that way. But on the other hand, I think it reduces the players to soundbited stereotypes and meat by the pound. Where people think they know all about the players, but they really don’t…especially the important thing, how they will perform on the field in the NFL. Good advice for your friend. -Steph]

“____ should have traded down” is NEVER adequately answered by “____ TRIED to trade down” in the minds of the thumb-sucking cretinage that tends to opine (way too much) about all things NFL and Texans.They think the Texans have rented the same mind-control machine that Democrats claimed Karl Rove used on the masses in 2000 and 2004.

[I can’t imagine as a fan having such certainty of value between players of different positions given the limitations of information we have. So you think that Belichick made a mistake taking McCourty over Wilson because you had Wilson rated higher, or are you fine with it because McCourty fits the Patriots system better? -Steph]

I’ve never, ever claimed certainty on rating players, as I am a total amateur. You asked me who I thought the BPA was at the time the Texans picked, and I told you.

As for McCourty v Wilson, I can’t say either way because they’re rated pretty close on my board.

Really, I’ve not said anywhere that I think this draft is a failure; it’s ridiculous to pass judgement for another two or three years. It’s just there was a pretty big disparity between what I thought about Kareem Jackson and where he was picked, so I felt compelled to say something about it. I don’t think I’m alone in that assessment. It’s not that I’m saying I think he’s a bad player, it’s more like I’m saying I thought it was a reach, that’s all.

We’ll see how it goes over the next couple of years. Honestly, I truly hope Jackson turns into a great find for the Texans.